Suel Kassembo, an illegal immigrant in Norway, was recently removed from the church building where he was ‘sheltering’ for almost three years to avoid deportation. This is the first such removal in Norway, three years after the “church asylum law” was repealed.
For centuries, churches have been regarded as places of sanctuary, and many within the Church of Norway viewed Kassembo’s stay as part of that tradition. Kassembo had lived in Herøy’s church for two and a half years.
However, three years after the government repealed long-standing guidelines that had prevented police from forcibly removing rejected asylum applicants from churches, authorities made clear that places of worship could no longer function as places where deportation orders were indefinitely suspended.
On May 27, police entered the church of Herøy and removed Kassembo. According to those involved, the operation was carried out peacefully, without resorting to force. Even Bishop Ingeborg Midttømme acknowledged the care taken by the authorities, noting that officers avoided times when funerals, children, or young people were present and that they arrived without uniforms.
The government’s position remains that legally binding decisions must apply equally to everyone. State Secretary Joakim Øren defended the policy change, stating: “The government has great respect for the church’s commitment and care for people in a difficult situation. At the same time, it is problematic if staying in a church in itself should be able to prevent deportation after legally binding decisions.”
That principle of equal treatment lies at the heart of the debate. If individuals can avoid deportation simply by remaining inside a church for years, the credibility of the asylum system is weakened and different rules effectively apply to different people. The government specifically cited the need to prevent new cases of long-term church asylum seekers and to maintain trust in the asylum process.
It is also important to note that immigrants trying to hide from the law in churches are usually not of Christian faith, with many viewing Christianity as an enemy. Thus the attitude of the Church of Norway may well qualify as a quintessential example of what Canadian professor Gad Saad famously describes as “suicidal empathy.”
